Don't Forget
by xOxbabii.girl.flying.solo.xOx
Summary: They're supposed to hate eachother. She's a geek, he's a jock. They fall in love. Happy ending, right? Wrong. There is one thing that she hasn't told him. That one thing could change their future forever...TxG. "Maybe you're better off forgetting me..."
1. I Don't Care What They Think of Me

"Whoop, whoop! Whoop, whoop!" All of the basketball players on the bus cheered.

"Ugh, do these guys ever shut up?!" Sharpay Evans--the head cheerleader growled.

"Honey, they just won the championship. I don't think they will ever _stop _acting like this," Gabriella Montez--the captain of the dance squad and the smartest girl in school laughed.

"Especially your little honey over there," Taylor teased, pointing back to Troy Bolton--the captain of the basketball team, East High's Golden Boy, and the jerk of the school.

"I don't like him!" Gabriella shot back.

"Sure you don't. But, I, on the other hand, have a whole hunk of man back there," Taylor told them. Sharpay and Gabriella burst into giggles.

"Chad!?" Sharpay shrieked through her laughter.

"Yeah, sure, Tay," Gabriella laughed. "You guys aren't even together." Chad Danforth--Troy's best friend bounced up a few seats.

"You called?"

"Ugh, go away, loser," Gabriella moaned.

"Hey," Chad shrugged. "You called for me. If it were my choice, I wouldn't even be up here with you nerds at the moment."

"You are such a jerk," Sharpay snapped. "No go away, before I smack you."

"Oh, no you didn't," Troy Bolton said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want me to smack you, too?" Sharpay put on a fake smile and held her freshly manicured long fingernails up to show them off. "Or I could just scratch your eyes out. Whichever you prefer."

Troy laughed and punched Chad in the arm. "Dude, did you hear that? Sharpay thinks that she's gonna scratch my eyes out."

"I heard," Chad laughed, too. "Sharpay, you're a cheerleader. Why even hang out with these weirdoes, when you could be making out with _the Troy Bolton."_

_Sharpay smiled. "First of all, they are not weird. They are my best friends and second of all, well, that's simple, eww, not in a million years."_

_Gabriella smirked. "What's so funny, Montez?" Troy demanded._

"_Nothing," Gabriella shrugged._

"_Oh, you guys are the biggest nerds I have ever seen." Chad groaned._

"_Then, here's two words for you. Go away," Sharpay snapped again._

"_Sharpay, it's not his fault he can't count to two," Gabriella giggled._

"_Shut up, Montez. This isn't over," Chad said, going back to his original seats, with Troy right behind him._

"_Why do I even ride the bus home?" She asked, mostly to herself._

"_Because you're going home with me," Taylor grinned._

"_I guess," Gabriella smiled back. "You didn't say much while those two were over here."_

"_I didn't even bother and I don't know why you two do," Taylor said. "I hate Bolton."_

"_You're not the only won, sister," Sharpay said, giving her a high-five._

"_You shouldn't hate anybody," Gabriella said._

"_Wait, you mean you actually like Troy?" Taylor asked, in shock._

"_No, I just dislike him," she smiled. "I don't hate anybody."_

"_That's because she's the angel of the school," Sarah Evans, Sharpay's older sister, said in a sick voice._

"_No, more like it's because she used to be the preacher's daughter," Tara, her best friend replied._

"_Not anymore, daddy died." Lacey, another cheerleader laughed._

"_Guys, enough!" Sharpay yelled. "Stop! Just stop."_

"_Meow," Sarah teased._

"_Shut the heck up you biotch!" Sharpay screamed. That caught everyone's attention._

_Sarah gasped. "I'm telling mother when we get home."_

"_Oh, poor baby. Always gets what she wants. Well, guess what? I'm not going home," Sharpay sneered. "No, I'm going to Gabriella's house."_

"_Eww, why one Earth would you want to go to her house?" Zeke Baylor- another basketball player asked._

"_Because she's my friend. Anyone who has a problem with that will deal with me," Sharpay said, confidently._

"_Shh, Shar, it's okay. I'm used to it," Gabriella said._

"_What, you don't care about what other people think about you?" Troy shouted from the back._

"_No, because no one knows the real me," Gabriella replied._

"_Bookworm, nerd, innocent little girl who does everything right, never gets in trouble, spends all of her time at the library," Troy answered._

"_That sounds about right." Gabriella shrugged. "Nothing I haven't heard yet."_

"_Whatever," Chad rolled his eyes. "Why should anyone be listening to them anyways?"_

"_Seriously," Jason-yet, another basketball player agreed._

"_You guys are listening to her because you want to, or else you wouldn't even give her the time of day," a small voice said from the very front of the bus. Everyone looked up. Kelsi Nielson-the school's music composer poked her head above the seat cautiously. She pulled the earphones out of her ears._

"_Yeah, because we just can't get enough of her," Zeke replied sarcastically. Everyone laughed, except for the 'nerds'._

"_Obviously not," Kelsi said, standing up. She was very short, with shoulder length, wavy, brown hair, and brown eyes, hidden by her glasses, wearing Hollister clothes, just like the cheerleaders and Gabriella and Taylor. So why didn't they fit in with the others? Because they were either in drama club or in the Scholastic Decathlon._

"_No one gives a shit," Troy said, from the back again._

"_Bolton," the bus driver scolded. "Watch your language."_

_Troy sniggered. "Yes ma'am." He looked at Gabriella and opened his mouth to talk again, but was interrupted by Sharpay holding her hand up in the air._

"_Enough, guys. Just shut the heck up. You ignore us for the rest of the bus ride home, we'll leave you alone."_

"_It's a deal," Chad said, speaking for everyone._


	2. A Talk With Mr Matsui

"Troy Bolton to the office, please," the secretary's voice boomed through the hallways of East High.

"Dude, what'd you do this time?" Chad asked.

Troy shrugged. "I'll tell you later." He took off in a sprint down the hallway.

He got to the office and went in. "Oh, Troy, he's in his office, go on in." The secretary said.

Troy opened the door. "What's up Matsui?"

"You will address me by Mr. or Principal Matsui," Matsui replied, looking up from his file.

"What did I do this time?" Troy asked.

"Well, you'll have detention if you don't lose the attitude," Matsui smirked. "But, you're failing out of history."

"Okay?" Troy asked. "So?"

"You have to have a decent grade- at least a C- in every class to stay on the basketball team." Matsui replied, matter of factly. Troy's eyes widened.

"What? Since when?"

"Since forever," Matsui nodded. "But, I will give you one last chance."

"What's the catch?" Troy asked.

"You have to be tutored every afternoon by a student from this school."

"What about practi-wait, you mean by a nerd?" Troy gulped.

"You can still attend basketball practice, and do not address the smarter students as nerds. You didn't even let me finish. Anyways, you also have to attend drama club every Thursday and participate in the spring musical."

"What?!" Troy choked. "A musical?!"

"Yes, sir. You will, or you're off the team. It's your choice."

Troy swallowed hard and his face went pale. "This is not going to be good for my rep."

"I think otherwise. I think it will get you hanging out with a better crowd of people," Matsui smiled.

"Who do I have to be tutored by?" Troy asked, swallowing hard.

"Hmm, " Matsui said, looking down at the file in his hand. "Seems the only open tutorer would be Gabriella Montez."

"Montez?!" Troy yelped, jumping out of his chair.

"Yes, Miss Montez." Matsui said, pushing the file across his desk. "You see this girl right here?" He pointed to her picture with a stubby finger.

"I know who she is, but- I-no…"Troy stuttered.

"It's your choice," Matsui said, shrugging. Troy sighed.

"Fine."

"Have a good day, Bolton," Matsui said.

"Not likely," Troy muttered, walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

"Troy!" Chad yelled. He'd been standing at the door. "What happened?"

"I'm failing out of history." Troy replied, stopping across the hall at his locker.

"So, what's the problem?" Chad asked, confusion written over his face.

"You remember the rules they mentioned to us at the beginning of the year?" Troy asked, looking at him.

"Yeah…" Chad said, deep in thought.

"Remember that one that said we have a C- in every class to stay on the team?" Troy questioned. Chad nodded. "You see me problem?"

"Oh!" Chad said, realization hitting him. "You're not off the team are you?!"

"No, I just have to be tutored, go to Drama Club, and participate in the spring musical," Troy recalled.

"What?!" Chad cried out. Troy nodded and opened his locker.

"You know what that's going to do to your popularity?" Chad shrieked, like a girl.

"Dude, calm down. Just try not to mention it to anyone yet, okay?" Troy asked.

"You've got my word," Chad said. "But, so you know, if you go down, you're not dragging me with you."

"What a best friend you are," Troy laughed, pulling out his books. They walked to homeroom. The bell rang just as they got into class. Miss Darbus began taking roll.

"Atkinson?"

"Here."

"Barrett?"

"Here."

"Baylor?"

"Alive and sexy," Zeke laughed.

"Bolton?"

"Here," Troy said, in a deep voice. A few cheerleaders giggled and he saw Gabriella shudder in her seat at the front of the room.

"Cox?"

"Here," Martha said cheerfully.

"Cross?"

"Huh?" Jason asked looking up from his desk, on which he'd been drawing. "Oh, here."

"Danforth?"

"Oh, here, babe," Chad joked. Everyone laughed as Miss Darbus gave him a glare.

"Evans'?"

"Here," Sharpay said in a preppy voice.

"Here," Her twin, Ryan, replied in a tired voice.

"Holly?"

"Here."

"Hunt?"

"Here."

"Jordan?"

"Here."

"Lipton?"

"Here."

"McKessie?"

"Here," Taylor called, nodding her head.

"Montez?"

"Hi," Gabriella answered, waving at Miss Darbus.

"Hello, dear. Nielson?"

"Here," Kelsi's small voice replied.

"And Williamson?"

"Here."

"Okay, I would like to talk to you about the musical coming up next week. But, first, I have been told by Mr. Matsui to inform you that after school tutoring begins here after school. Or, you can get with your buddy and decide if you'd rather tutor in private at a house."

"Auditions for the Spring Musical are next Monday. All you will have to do is read a few lines out of the script that I give you and sing the song off the sheet music I will be giving you. Come and see me later to get those." Miss Darbus said. "Any questions?"

"Do you ever shut up?" Chad mumbled. The people that heard him laughed.

"Yes and detention, Danforth."

"But-"

"No, buts."

"Ha, you said but." Chad laughed.


	3. These Stars on My Ceiling

"BRRIIIING!" The bell sounded. Everyone stood up and collected their things.

"Hey, Montez!" Troy called. Gabriella turned around.

"Oh, good morning," Gabriella said, softly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Troy rolled his eyes. "Matsui told me that you're my tutoring partner."

"Oh, really?" Gabriella asked. Her large brown eyes widened. Her heart dropped. Ugh, she was stuck with Bolton.

"Yeah."

"Um, I guess you can come over after basketball practice or whatever." Gabriella shrugged.

"Uh, I was going to anyways, I just didn't want to scare you're mom or whatever," Troy said.

"Okay…" Gabriella trailed off. "I gotta go. I'll see you tonight."

"Duh," Troy muttered. He turned to go meet up with his basketball friends.

**6:00 P.M. That Night:**

"Ding dong!" The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Gabriella called. She ran to the door and opened it. "Oh, Troy, hey, I wasn't expecting you until later."

"Basketball got out early," Troy smirked. She was only wearing a spaghetti strap belly button shirt and booty shorts.

"Um, I'm gonna go get changed. You stay down here and make yourself comfortable." Gabriella said, her face red. She turned and ran up the stairs at full speed. "MOM! Troy's here!"

Maria Montez came out of the kitchen. "Oh, hello, you must be Troy." Maria said, extending her hand.

"That'd be me. I'll bet Gabriella's told you all the good stuff about me," Troy laughed.

"Not really," Maria said, smiling, as Gabriella came back down the stairs in Victoria Secret sweat capris and a pink tank top.

"Oh, I see you've met my mother," Gabriella smiled.

"Gabby, you didn't tell me your guest was so…' Maria looked for the words. Stuck up.

"Yeah, sorry mom. Um, Troy let's go upstairs."

"Ah," Maria warned, holding up her hand. "Play nicely, but not too nicely."

"We will, mom," Gabriella murmured, her cheeks turning bright pink. Troy chuckled.

Gabriella lead Troy upstairs. She opened the first door down the hallway to the left. "This is my room." Troy looked around. It didn't seem nerdy at all. Nothing like he would've expected.

She had posters of Chris Brown, Rihanna, Metro Station, and Simple Plan. Her walls were painted neon green and pink and she had a laptop sitting on her glass desk with a bright orange chair. "Wow," Troy said.

Gabriella looked up and Troy did, too. There were glow in the dark star plastered all over her ceiling. "Are you scared of the dark?" Troy asked, in a teasing tone.

"No," Gabriella blushed and looked down.

"Then, why do you have those up there?" Troy asked.

"Because…" Gabriella trailed off.

"Because?" Troy encouraged her.

"Because I like to believe that my dad is up there watching over me. I know, it's kind of stupid." Gabriella said, in a small voice.

"No it's not," Troy replied, walking over to her balcony, taking note that there was a tree right in front of it, perfect for climbing up onto it. He saw that there was a telescope there also. "You look at the stars even though you have your own in your room?"

"Oh, well, I like to look for planets and I've always wanted to see a shooting star," Gabriella smiled, walking over to the telescope. She looked through the eyepiece. "You should check this out."

Troy moved toward the telescope. She moved out of the way and he looked through it. The stars looked so bright and shiny. "The stars are beautiful tonight." Gabriella said to herself. _Like you, Troy thought. Wait, had he really just thought that? What was happening to him? A soft wind blew through the night._

_Gabriella closed her eyes. "I like the wind."_

"_Why?" Troy asked, looking up from the telescope._

"_It reminds me of the people I love in my life. It never stops blowing, somewhere it always is. Just like somewhere out there, someone loves me." Gabriella smiled, opening her eyes and glancing at Troy and then at the alarm clock on her dresser in her room. "Oh, we should probably get to studying."_

"_Oh, yeah," Troy agreed, tearing his eyes away from her and following her back into her room. She sat down on the floor and reached up and turned on the radio on her dresser. Then, she pulled a thick book off of the shelf._

"_What's your homework for tonight?" Gabriella asked Troy. Troy pulled his history homework out of his pocket. Gabriella took it gently and looked it over, her eyes moving across the paper in a flash. "American History."_

"_You read fast," Troy pointed out._

"_Thanks," Gabriella laughed, opening her book to the Table of Contents. She handed his paper back to him. "Read the first question."_

"_Who was the twenty first President of the Untied States?" Troy read directly off the page._

"_Okay.." Gabriella said, flipping a few pages ahead in her book. "Read this first paragraph." She watched as he leaned over and his ocean blue eyes skimmed over the page. He looked up._

"_Chester A. Arthur?" Troy asked._

"_Exactly. You see? It isn't that hard. You probably just didn't give enough time to read the pages given." Gabriella told him. She looked over at the paper he had nailed to the floor with one hand. He scrawled the answer down. "And how long was he president?"_

"_Um," Troy looked back at the book again. "It says from 1881-1885, so about five years?" Gabriella nodded. He wrote that down. "This really isn't that hard."_

"_Yeah, because we had a sub today." Gabriella replied. "Other assignments are more challenging." Troy nodded. They finished the paper, just as Maria called them down for dinner._


	4. Just Keep Telling Myself

"Morning, Gabs," Taylor greeted, coming up to Gabriella's locker the next day at school.

"Hey, Tay, how are you? Sorry I didn't call you last night. I had tutoring." Gabriella apologized.

"That's okay. Who are you tutoring?" Taylor asked, curiously.

"Troy," Gabriella said in a small voice.

"Troy Bolton?!" Taylor shrieked.

"Tay, keep it down, okay?" Gabriella hushed her.

"Sorry," Taylor said. "Troy Bolton?"

"Yeah, so? He's failing out of history," Gabriella replied, opening her locker.

"How do you fail out of history? That's the like easiest class," Taylor laughed.

"I don't know. That's his problem, so ask him." Gabriella pulled out her books and closed her locker. She pulled her books against her chest as they walked by Troy and his gang. "Oh, hey Troy, see you at my place tonight after drama?"

Troy looked over. Chad flashed him a warning look. "Only in your mind," Troy said coolly. His gang laughed and so did he. Gabriella frowned and turned to Taylor.

"I knew it," Taylor shrugged. Gabriella held back her tears and walked to her next class with Taylor. Guilt stabbed at Troy's side all day.

**3:30 P.M.**

"BRRIIIIING!" The bell rang for the end of the day. Everyone bolted out the door, but Gabriella and Taylor walked to Drama Club together. Troy was already there.

"Okay, auditions were yesterday and I have the results. Nobody tried out for the main role - Corey the pub owner. So, I talked it over with Principal Matsui and that role will be filled by our one and only Troy Bolton." Miss Darbus announced.

Troy's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"And Gabriella Montez will be playing the role of Ellie Sims, the new pub singer. Taylor McKessie will be playing the old pub singer and former lover of Corey, Jenna." Taylor and Gabriella smiled and high-fived each other.

"Today, we will be practicing reading lines and the rest of you will be painting props and figuring out lighting." Miss Darbus informed everyone and she turned around. "Lead roles up here, please!"

"Miss Darbus!" Troy called, running up to her. "How did I get this role? I don't want to be a main role! I can't sing!"

"Everyone can sing, dear. You just have the choice to sing or not to," Miss Darbus answered simultaneously.

"Ugh!" Troy stomped in frustration and turned around. Gabriella and Taylor walked up, chatting excitedly.

"I get to sing!" Gabriella cheered.

"You'll do great!" Taylor complimented.

Gabriella blushed. "I don't sing _that_ well."

"Yeah, you do, girl," Taylor laughed.

"You sing?" Troy asked, walking up to Gabriella.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" She snapped. Troy opened his mouth to respond. "Save it, Bolton."

"Okay, Gabriella?" Miss Darbus walked up. "You'll be practicing your song with Kelsi in the mornings before school and Troy, you'll be practicing with her during free period. I will talk to your coach to get that sorted out."

Gabriella and Troy nodded. "But, right now, we need to work on lines!" Darbus said, giving them the actual scripts. Troy sighed.

"You okay?" Darbus asked.

"Yeah," Troy nodded. "I guess."

**AFTER DRAMA:**

"Gabriella!" Troy called as she walked out toward her car.

"Yes?" She asked, turning on her heel.

"I was hoping that you could help me with my homework tonight. I really need help."

"But, we have to keep it a secret, right? We can be secret friends!" She cheered, sarcastically, a sour look upon her face.

"Gabriella, that's not fair," Troy protested.

"It seems pretty dang fair to me," Gabriella shot back. "You denied me in front of your friends!"

"Chad told me to!"

"I Chad told you to jump off a cliff, would you?" Gabriella asked, facing him and looking him directly in the eyes. "I thought I saw something in you. I though that you would change. I just kept telling myself, tomorrow it will be different. He will _want_ to be your friend."

"I do want to be your friend!" Troy yelled. _I want to be more than your friend!_

"That's pretty hard to believe!" Gabriella screamed in his face. "Just forget it, Troy. Forget that this _ever _happened. Forget me. Obviously, knowing me was a big mistake." She turned and ran to her car as fast as she could.

"Gabriella!" He called uselessly after her. He turned around. "Ugh!"

"Dude, where have you been?" Chad asked, coming up from behind him.

"Drama Club, remember?" Troy asked, trying to act normal.

"Oh…" Chad sighed. "Well, the team sucks without you every Thursday." Troy laughed. "I'm not kidding. So, how's Drama Club?"

"Very…_dramatic." Troy joked. "I got placed with a lead role in the musical." Chad burst out laughing._

"_I will definitely be there on opening night."_

"_Ha ha," Troy smirked._

"_Many nerds in there?"_

"_Lots. You don't even want to know," Troy sighed._

"_Yeah, I guess I don't." Chad chuckled._

"_So, how's it been going with the whole Gabriella thing? Did she quit tutoring you?"_

"_Yeah, she did," Troy said. He'd been hoping to avoid this subject._

"_Ha, now you don't have to deal with her."_

"_Well, she's not that bad…"_

"_You're serious?" Chad asked. Troy nodded reluctantly. "Wow, this drama must be really having an effect on you. Either that, or you're really high." Troy shook his head._

"_Dude, no, I quit that stuff a while back." Troy said, honestly._

"_I didn't even know you were ever into it," Chad laughed. Troy shrugged._

"_It didn't feel right…"_

"_So, you do have a soft spot?" Chad joked. "A feminine side of Troy Bolton? I can't wait to see this play."_

"_Oh, you'll love it. No, I haven't even read the entire script yet. It seems really boring so far." Troy said._

"_Well, isn't every musical?" They both laughed this time. "So, when's opening night?"_

"_Two weeks. I gotta work hard to get this down. So many lines and versus."_

"_Wait, you have to sing?!" Chad shrieked like a little girl._

"_Yeah, that's the point of a lead role," Troy replied, knowingly. Chad howled with laughter._


	5. Opening Night

Two weeks had passed and Gabriella still hadn't talked to Troy, after all of his attempts to talk to her. He'd climbed her balcony three times and called her over seventy. Not to mention how many times he'd tried at school. Now, it was opening night and Troy wasn't even failing out of history anymore.

**(THIS IS THE PLAY!!)**

"I can't believe you're firing me!" Taylor(Jenna) cried out.

"I need the best for my pub," Troy(Corey) said simply.

"And I'm not the best?!" Jenna shrieked.

"You are good. I'll admit that, but we need something more…elegant." Corey replied, sucking on his pipe.

"And who would that be?!" Jenna demanded.

"This new girl that my partner downtown hired for me. I have never seen her and he said he hasn't either, because she walks around with a hood on." Corey shrugged. The door opened. Gabriella(Ellie--mystery new pub singer) walked in.

"Good luck," Jenna muttered to Ellie. "He even fired three girls before me." Ellie shrugged, looking down, with her hood still up. She was wearing a detective coat. Jenna stalked off toward the door.

"Well, can we have a sample?" Corey asked, sitting down. Ellie nodded. She took her coat off, revealing a red, silk v-neck dress that had a slit up the thigh and her hair was up in a messy bun with some curls framing her face perfectly. People pulled out their cameras and snapped quick pictures of her. She blushed and sat down in the chair next to him.

"I'll be the one to tell everyone I'm goneI've fallen inTo a place I can begin to understand.I'm just happy you're here to hold my handAll I want to do is stand close to youBe by your sideAll I want to do is make the world revolveAround you and IWhat I would give upWhat I would go throughTo get it rightAll I want to do in this lifetime is make you mineAll I want to do in this lifetime is make you mineMy secret's outIt's been hidden in my heartThat's over nowI want everyone to know I found it allYou're the everything I've never hadAnd baby I got it badAnd it's far too hard to seeWhat the future will beEverywhere I goEverywhere I go now you're with meNa na na na, na na na na na, YeahNa na na na, na na na na na, Make you mineNa na na na, na na na na na, YeahNa na na na, na na na na na, Make you mineNa na na na, na na na na na, YeahNa na na na, na na na na na, Make you mineNa na na na, na na na na na, YeahNa na na na, na na na na na, Hey heyNa na na na, na na na na na, YeahNa na na na, na na na na na, Make you mineNa na na na, na na na na na, YeahNa na na na…"

Gabriella looked over at him. They both knew what was coming next. It was engraved in the script(thanks Kelsi), but they'd never practiced it, because Gabriella had refused to until opening night, because she'd said that she really didn't want to.

They both leaned in. Gabriella closed her eyes. Troy moved closer until his lips met with hers. Her lips were soft against his own. Troy tried to put his apology into the kiss, hoping Gabriella would understand. They broke their lips apart as the crowd began clapping and they looked out into the crowd. Chad was cracking up, almost falling out of his seat. Troy glared at him.

They both stood up as the rest of the cast came out, linked arms, and they all bowed. Troy glanced at Gabriella who was being pulled away by the giggling and chattering Taylor and Sharpay. She looked back weakly at him as if she was trying to sat something, but Chad rammed into Troy.

"Dude, who knew you could sing?!" Chad bellowed, clapping him on the back. "I almost fell asleep there for a minute, but your singing definitely caught my attention." Troy chuckled.

"So, how was the play?" Troy asked.

'I don't know, dude, all I caught was your singing and the very ending.." Chad laughed.

"Troy!" Troy's mom-Lucille called. She was standing at the door. "Let's go!"

"Bye, man, I gotta go," Troy waved and took off after his mother. He saw Gabriella getting into a car with her mom and Sharpay. "Oh, mom, I've gotta do something really fast." Troy said. Lucille nodded and he ran over to Gabriella's car.

"Gabriella!" He called, out of breath. She turned around smiling. "You did really good." Troy complimented. "Your singing is amazing."

Gabriella blushed. "No, it's not, but thanks anyway."

"No, honestly, it is," Troy nodded. Gabriella smiled and shook her head. "Gabriella, will you please tutor me again?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. "But not tomorrow. I have che- I mean, um, I have to go…to my grandma's house." Gabriella lied. Troy nodded.

"Okay, I understand. See you later!" He waved and ran back to his car with his mom. Gabriella watched him go. Whew, she'd almost let her biggest secret go…


	6. A Bigger Plan For Her

Gabriella closed her eyes and rested her head on her pillow. She really needed to tell him if they were going to be friends again, or even more, hopefully. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. It scared her to death knowing that she'd almost told him last night.

When she finally got to sleep and stopped worrying, her alarm went off. She groaned and sat up. Another day of school. Another day of having to see him ignoring her with all of his friends. But, maybe, just maybe things had changed.

"God, she actually looked pretty at the musical," Sarah Evans muttered to Lacey Barrett when the bell rang for free period.

"I know, impossible."

Sarah bit her lip. "But I know what we can do to change that." They snuck off to find some of their friends, especially Chad. They knew her secret and they wanted to ruin her, to tear her down. But she didn't know that…yet.

**LUNCH:**

**Gabriella walked into the lunch room with Taylor and Sharpay. Everyone was laughing and looking at their own piece of paper. Then, when they got into view, every eye snapped up toward Gabriella. "What did you do?" Taylor murmured.**

"**I don't know…"Gabriella whispered. Taylor and Sharpay moved toward one of the pieces of paper. They both gasped and Taylor grabbed the piece of paper from Jason and Zeke, who were in hysterics over it. "Is this you?" Sharpay asked, as Taylor showed her the paper. It was a picture of Gabriella, only without hair, and completely naked.**

**Tears formed in her eyes. She wasn't that fat, was she? She looked down at her flat stomach and imagined tat she was. She closed her eyes and she began to tremble all over. Her tray fell to the floor. Sharpay knelt down and started picking things up and Taylor stood gazing at the picture. People around her still were laughing and pointing.**

**She felt tears running down her cheeks. She turned and took off toward the door, running right into Troy, who had just entered the lunch room. He wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?" He whispered in her ear, seeing the tears. She nodded toward Taylor and he let go of her, walking over to Taylor.**

**He took the picture out of her grasp and stormed over to Chad, who was laughing his head off. He faked a smile and Chad pointed toward the picture. "You never said that she was bald and she was that fat under all that…" Troy punched him right in the stomach. He stumbled back into Sarah and spit up some blood.**

**Troy dropped the picture. "Our friendship…"Chad said, "It's over." Troy nodded. "It's done."**

"**Fine by me," Troy replied in a nasty tone, walking back over to Gabriella, who was now wrapped in Taylor and Sharpay's firm grip. He nodded to them as if to say 'I got it' and they let go. Troy took off his jacket and wrapped it around Gabriella's shoulders and led her out of the lunch room.**

"**Baby, don't listen to them," Troy whispered, rubbing his hand up her arm as they walked out the school doors.**

"**Do I really look like that?" Gabriella asked, looking down at her stomach again.**

"**Of course not," Troy shook his head. "You're beautiful."**

**Gabriella gave him a half smile. "I don't feel so good." She was glad he hadn't realized the most important thing about the picture. The thing that those girls had put there on purpose, because obviously, they knew.**

"**I'll take you home, okay?" Troy asked. Gabriella nodded. "Shar will take your car home later." Gabriella nodded again.**

**He walked her to his car and opened the door for her, then he ran over to get in on his own side. "They're just jealous, because they're nowhere near as pretty as you are." Troy said, reassuringly. Gabriella gave him a watery smile. 'That's my girl." He grinned, rubbing her back with one hand and starting the car with his other.**

**He pulled in to her driveway. Maria ran out, noticing Troy's car immediately. "What happened, sweetie?" She asked, soothingly. Gabriella didn't answer, she just looked down. "Did you throw up again?"**

"**Throw up?" Troy asked. "Why would she throw up? 'Brie, are you sick?" He asked, looking at Gabriella as he led her up to her house. She shook her head furiously, giving her mom a weird look. Maria nodded her head, understanding. He didn't know yet.**

"**Mom, I don't want to talk about it right now," Gabriella whispered, tears once again filling her eyes. "Later?" She asked. Maria nodded.**

"**Of course honey," She replied, smiling warmly at Troy and her daughter.**

"**Do you want me to stay with you?" Troy asked, Gabriella, taking her up to her room.**

**Gabriella nodded. "But you have to get back to school…"**

"**I'll skip school. My dad will cover for me….say he came to school to get me at lunch and forgot to tell Matsui." Troy responded, sitting her down on her bed.**

"**I'm going to call the school and tell them you're sick, Gabby, so they don't think you're skipping class, okay??" Maria asked. Gabriella nodded.**

"**Thanks, mom." She said in a quiet voice.**

"**Do you wanna talk about it?" Troy asked her. She shook her head.**

"**I just wanna rest," she whispered.**

"**Okay," Troy agreed, "Okay." She lay down on the bed.**

"**Will you lay with me?" She asked. He smiled.**

"**Sure, baby," he said calmly, crawling over her and laying behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Maria poked her head in the room to make sure everything was okay. Everything seemed to be going wrong for her daughter.**

**She was only in high school, but maybe God had a bigger plan for her after all of this. Maria was sure that Gabriella would make it through all of this. She had raised a strong girl. She as strong just like her father was and that was how Maria had wanted it to be.**


	7. I Love You

**THE NEXT DAY:**

It was Saturday. Thank the Heavens above, the weekend had come and Gabriella wouldn't have to face everyone at school just yet. Troy knew that she wasn't ready to see them all laughing at her again. But when the time did come for her to go back, he would be right there beside her.

Troy had spent the night with Gabriella, because she'd been so upset, and he just couldn't leave her. There alone. She wouldn't have been alone, because of course, Maria was there, but Maria had to go to work in the morning, so Troy had just decided to stay the night.

So, now, Troy was at his house getting ready for his first actual date with Gabriella. They were going to have a lake-side picnic and star-gaze, but he'd promised Maria that he'd have her home by eleven, which gave them little time to get ready, since Troy had just left and it was already seven. He had to pick her back up at seven-thirty. He decided on a pair of black pants and a blue, silk, button-up shirt.

It was now seven fifteen, so Troy decided he might as well be on his way. He got in his car and drove to her house. "Ding dong!" He pushed the doorbell button.

"Gabriella, oh, Gabriella, your date's here!" Maria sang, opening the door. "She'll be down in a minute. She had some trouble deciding what to wear." She said, smiling.

Gabriella came down the stairs, dressed in tight, faded blue jeans and a green, spaghetti strap dress shirt. Troy grinned at her like a crazy man. She smiled back like a wild woman. "Well, don't you look beautiful?" Troy complimented.

Gabriella blushed and looked down. "Thanks."

"Bye, honey. Troy, have her home by eleven."

"Yes, ma'am," Troy nodded, taking Gabriella's hand and leading her out toward his car.

Gabriella had just noticed how nice he had dressed. "You look really handsome."

"Thanks, baby," Troy said. She reached up on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Anytime." She giggled.

He just shook his head and opened the car door on the passengers side and she got in. "Why, thank you, my good sir," she giggled again.

"No problem, my first lady," Troy joked.

"How many lady's do you have?" Gabriella asked, in a teasing tone.

"Well, there is this one, but I can't seem to place her. She has chocolate brown eyes, curly brown hair, and the most amazing singing voice. She's truly beautiful, but I can't remember who she is." There was a weird look in Gabriella's eyes.

"You forgot me?" Her voice sounded off, broken.

"No, of course not. I was kidding," Troy reassured her, starting the car. "I didn't upset you, did I?"

She burst into a fit of giggles. "Gotcha!" She managed to say between giggles.

"You scared me for a minute, there," Troy said. "I though you were going to cry."

Gabriella giggled again. "Did you really?"

Troy nodded. "I will never get tired of hearing your giggle."

This just made her giggle again and he pulled out of her driveway, realizing that they had been sitting there for some time, now.

He pulled up to the lake and got out of the car. She got out, too. "This is beautiful," she whispered. "Did you do all of this?" She looked around. The setting was perfect. The moon and stars were shining brightly down on the lake and there were a few candles lit and two blankets and some music playing softly in the background.

Troy nodded. "With a little help from Sharpay."

"You didn't have to go this far," Gabriella whispered. "I'm honestly not that special."

"Yes you are. Why else would I do all of this? You are the only girl I would ever do this for," Troy smiled, cheekily.

"You're so cheesy," Gabriella giggled.

"But, what's life without a little cheese?" Troy asked, jokingly.

Gabriella's face turned a little more serious. "Life. That's a tough subject."

"Yeah," Troy nodded, "It really is. It's the most hardest thing to deal with."

"But yet, it's fun at the same time." Gabriella said, as if she was reading his mind.

"Yeah," Troy said, opening the picnic basket and sitting down on the blanket. Gabriella sat next to him. He began pulling out food. They ate and enjoyed the comfort of each other. Troy though about it and this was the girl that he wanted to be with forever.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Troy asked, as they put the blankets, food basket, candles, and radio in the trunk of his car.

"Sometimes," Gabriella replied. "But, not a lot. I don't like to." Then, she turned and got into the car.

Troy went around and got in on the driver's side. He started the engine and pulled back onto the road. "Why don't you like to think about it?"

"It scares me. I don't know what's in store for me," Gabriella shivered, but it wasn't because she was cold.

"None of us do," Troy added.

"And I don't want to know." Gabriella shook her head.

"Really?" Troy asked. "Most people would want to know when and how they were going to die…" Gabriella tensed up on that word, but Troy didn't seem to notice, he just kept on driving. It was silent until they got back to her house.

"Gabriella, I need to tell you something." Troy said, opening her door for her. She stepped out.

"What is it?" She asked, eagerly.

"I love you." He said simply.

"I love you, too," she smiled. They leaned in and kissed.

She pulled away. "I have to tell you something, too," Gabriella whispered.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked, stroking her cheek.

She closed her eyes. "It concerns our future…"

**What's her secret? I need reviews, people. Give me a few reviews and I'll put up the next chappie!!**


	8. Her Big Secret

Troy's eyes grew slightly with worry. "This doesn't sound good."

Gabriella shook her head. "It's not."

"Then, what's the matter?" Troy asked, concern filling his voice.

"I…I'm sick…" Gabriella whispered, looking down at her feet.

"Okay, then let's go inside," Troy said, confused, starting to pull her inside.

"No!" She cried out. "You don't understand! I'm sick. I have leukemia."

"What?" Troy asked, in disbelief. "Well, are you getting treated?!"

Gabriella shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm not responding to the treatments anymore."

"How long have you known!?" He demanded.

"About four years." Gabriella replied quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me before?!" Troy exclaimed.

"I didn't know how much longer I had left to live and I just wanted to live a normal life…"Gabriella whispered.

"Gabriella, this is kind of a thing you tell the boyfriend before you start going out!"

"You don't understand," Gabriella shook her head furiously. "I knew you wouldn't! You're the same old Troy I used to know!" And with those last words, she took off and left him standing, waiting, wondering.

Gabriella ran through the door and slammed it shut. "How'd it-" Maria had started to ask, before Gabriella ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. "He knows, now." She told herself.

Gabriella let out a cry and fell back on her bed. She ran her hands through her hair. She hadn't ever wanted this. All she'd ever wanted was a normal life like all those other girls. She hadn't bargained for all of this…pain. She turned over and sobbed into her pillows. Not only was her life slipping away, but so was the love of her life…

She heard his engine start up. She knew that he was leaving. Of course he would. She had just left him standing. She had left him there alone and he didn't know what to do now. But, did any of them, really? Sooner or later, she would have to tell Sharpay and Taylor. She could see their reactions now. The same as Troy.

Soon enough, she cried herself to sleep. It was only Friday. And that meant she didn't _have_ to tell Tay and Shar for two more glorious days. If only she actually knew what pain would come in those _glorious days of hers._

__________________________________________________________________________________

_The tears didn't start coming until he was halfway to his house. There was only one person who he knew could make him feel better. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his mother's number. "Hey, mom? Yeah, I have been crying. No, nothing's wrong. Well, okay, everything's wrong."_

_He launched into his story about Gabriella. He just had to get it out in the open, so he could figure out how he was supposed to deal with thus. How had she handled it so well all this time? I mean, she was the one that had the cancer._

_Cancer. Ouch, it hurt to say that. It ate at Troy's inside as his mother tried to calm him down with the soothing words only a mother could produce. Troy sighed and wiped away some of his tears. "Mom, your not helping. I know, I asked for your help, but…ugh, never mind." He flipped the phone shut and threw it into the passenger's seat._

_He drove to the only place in his life that was peaceful. Where his dad was buried. The Albuquerque Cemetery. "Dad, I really wish you were here right now. I really need you, bad." Troy whispered, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at his father's tombstone._

_He felt a light hand on his shoulder. He turned around. It was Chad. "Hey," Troy said, awkwardly._

"_Hey, dude, your mom told me about Gabriella," Chad said, an apologetic tone in his voice. "I'm really sorry."_

"_It's not your fault." Troy said, turning back to the grave._

"_Hey, Mr. Bolton," he heard Chad's voice greet, toward the grave. "I know, I haven't visited in like forever, but my man, Troy, he really needs you right now. If you're up there," Chad looked toward the sky. "Could you please tell God to bless Gabriella?"_

"_Thanks, man," Troy said, clapping Chad on the back._

"_Are we…you know, cool?" Chad asked._

"_Yeah, we're cool," Troy grinned, but that didn't stop the sparkly tears from prickling his eyes._

"_It's gonna be okay," Chad said, giving Troy a 'manly' hug._

"_I don't know. I mean, Gabriella--"_

"_She's strong, Troy. You and I both know how much she's been through. She's made it this far, what's to say she won't make it 'til eighty or ninety?" Chad asked, smiling._

"_I just hope you're right," Troy nodded. "I should probably talk to her tomorrow."_

"_Do her friends know?" Chad asked._

"_No, I don't think so," Troy shook his head. "I think I'm the only one she's told, well, besides her mom." Chad nodded. "I think she'll tell them when she's ready, though."_

"_Yeah," Chad agreed._

"_There's something I need to do for her," Troy said._

"_What's that?" Chad questioned, as Troy turned back toward his car._

"_You'll see. C'mon, I could use your help."_


	9. The Hospital

Gabriella woke up to the sun shining brightly through her open curtains. Her mom was hovering above her. "Rough night?" Maria asked, softly.

"I told him," Gabriella croaked, tears welling in her eyes once again.

"I kind of figured," Maria tried her best to smile. She always covered it up so well, but no one knew that on the inside she was slowly breaking. "Troy called," she added, handing Gabriella her phone.

Gabriella flipped it open. "And texted…several times…" She said.

"Maybe you should call him back," Maria suggested, rising to her feet. "It's you choice." She kissed her daughter on her forehead and left the room.

Gabriella bit her lip. She slowly went down through her contacts in her contact book and found Troy's name. She stared at it for a while and finally pushed the green call button. "Hey, you've reached Troy. Do your thing at the beep…" Gabriella sighed as the phone gave a tiny beep.

"Hey, Troy, it's Gabriella, um, just returning the call," she said, flipping the phone shut and throwing it on her bed. She walked into the bathroom. Her hair was a mess--all over her head and her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she had done the previous night. But the most important thing that stood out to her, was that she was as pale as ever.

She felt her heart's beating begin to pump faster. Her head was spinning. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she fell to the tile floor. "Gabriella!" Was the last thing she heard. Her mom screaming her name.

Troy sighed and finished filling out the extra long paperwork. It would take forever, but it would surely be worth it. "Hey, Troy!" He heard Chad call. He looked up.

"You have a missed call from Gabby," Chad said, jogging up to his friend. Troy reached for the phone.

"Did you get it done?" He asked Chad, pushing 'call' and putting the phone up to his ear. Chad nodded.

"Yeah, and I got extra ones, too."

"Hey, it's Gabby, you know what to do!" Came Gabriella's cheerful voice from her voicemail. Troy groaned and snapped the phone shut.

"Voicemail," he muttered, to the curious Chad. He sat down and continued with the paperwork. Then, his phone went off again.

"It's your mom," Chad said, picking it up from the table.

"Could you get it?" Troy asked.

"Okay," Chad replied, opening the phone and placing it to his hear. "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color? Yeah, it's Chad. Oh my word, are you serious?!" Troy looked up. Chad's faced was shocked. "Okay, we're on the way."

"Dude, what's up?" Troy asked.

"It's Gabriella," Chad replied. "We have to get to the hospital." They wasted no time. Troy left the finally finished paperwork where it was, in hopes that the lady who worked there would find it. They hurried off toward the hospital.

Troy burst into Gabriella's hospital room. There she was, lying frail and fragile, asleep in a hospital gown, on a hospital bed. Maria was there, too. She was staring out the window.

"Maria?" Troy asked, jogging over to her.

Maria turned to face the two boys. There were tears in her eyes. "Oh, thank the Lord you're here! I thought you weren't coming!" Troy wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She cried into his shoulder and he barely managed to keep his own tears from escaping.

"Do you mind if I…have some time alone with her?" Troy asked hopefully.

Maria nodded. "Oh, of course." And she and Chad left the room.

Troy pulled up a chair next to Gabriella's bed. "Hey, baby girl," he whispered, softly, listening to the rhythm of the heart monitor. "I just want you to know that I love you and I'll always be here for you." He closed his eyes and rested his head on the side of her bed. "And I'm gonna stay with you until you get better." He placed a sweet kiss on her cheek and rested against the chair, closing his eyes, yet again.

Chad came in. "She looks so…sick."

"Well, what do you expect?" Troy snapped. "She does have cancer."

"I know that--"

"Obviously not, if you--ugh, never mind." Chad sighed and started to leave the room once again, wishing there were a way he could help.

A doctor came in. "When does she get to go home?" Troy asked, quickly.

"Probably not for a while," the doctor replied. Chad stopped at the door. "She needs a lot of treatment. We're still going to continue with the treatment, it might put off the…" Troy looked down. Chad left the room, with one thing on his mind.

Lucille and Maria came into the room next and the doctor left. Gabriella's eyes fluttered open, once the door slammed shut. She looked, wide-eyed around the room. Troy was here and that was all that mattered. He reached down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, caressing her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch.

Maria smiled and so did Lucille. Ah, the beauty of young love, especially when it was her daughter that was in love. And at such a young age, too! "Hi, mommy," Gabriella whispered. Her voice wasn't very strong at the moment, so she could barely talk above a whisper.

"Hey, sweetie," Maria replied, still smiling. "Do you feel any better?"

Gabriella nodded as Troy sat down on the bed next to her. Gabriella moved over a little, to make room. He grinned charmingly at her and she smiled the best she could. "I'm sorry," she leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Why should you be sorry?" He asked, softly. "I'm the one that should be sorry and I honestly am."

Gabriella smiled. "I missed you so much," she croaked as he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"I love you," he cooed into her hair, rubbing her back.

"I love you, too," Gabriella replied. Maria laughed and shook her head.

"We have quite a movie here, don't we?" Lucille asked.

"Pull up a chair," Maria joked.


	10. Will You?

Lucille made Troy go home and shower and eat, because he refused to leave the hospital for the last few days, skipping school. But, Lucille, being the nice mom she was, called in for him and said he was sick. Gabriella, Maria, and Lucille all finally convinced Troy to go him and get refreshed.

He was at home, now. He stepped into the shower, closing the curtain behind him and just letting the hot water flow over his body. About thirty minutes later, he got out, dried off, and got dressed. Then, went down to the garage and got into his car, once again. He decided he was just going to stop by McDonalds and grab a Big Mac, so he could see Gabriella as soon as possible.

He hadn't talked to Chad ever since Gabriella was first in the hospital, but that wasn't the most of his worries. He knew that he shouldn't have snapped at him. He'd just been upset over Gabriella and he took it out on Chad, which was wrong.

Once Troy arrived at the hospital, he hurried up the stairs, until he got to Gabriella's floor. They were helping Gabriella out of her room and moving her toward the elevator. "What's going on?" Troy asked.

"Troy!" Gabriella smiled. "I get to go home!"

"What?!" Troy exclaimed. "That's incredible! How did this happen?"

"Chad," Maria said, simply as she followed Gabriella into the elevator with Lucille trailing behind.

Chad came from out of the room. He shrugged, modestly. "I'm paying for home treatment for her."

"What?! Dude, how am I ever going to repay you? Where'd you ever get the money?"

"I've been saving up for a few years, now. I've been wanting to buy a new car," Chad shrugged. "It's not big deal, really. I just wanted to help a brother and sister out."

Troy laughed and thumped Chad hard on the back. "Thanks, so much!" He called, running toward the elevator to follow the others. Chad shook his head.

"That boy is so in love."

___________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, Gabby, I've got a surprise for you!" Troy called from Gabriella's balcony. Gabriella squealed and stood up.

"I love surprises! What is it?" She asked. He took her hand and pulled her toward her telescope. "What am I looking for?" She asked.

"This new comet," Troy said. "I can't seem to find it."

"Okay," Gabriella smiled, looking through the scope. "Oh, I found it! It's beautiful."

"Yeah, and it's yours," Troy grinned.

Gabriella looked up, a shocked expression on her face. "What?"

Troy pulled a bunch of folded up papers out of his pocket. "I have the paperwork to prove it." He showed her the paper.

"You named a comet after me?" Gabriella asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well, of course I did. I spotted it a few nights ago at the cemetery with Chad and we went to see if it had a name yet. And it didn't." Troy shrugged. Gabriella threw her arms around him in a great hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed, squeezing him as tight as possible.

"Okay, 'Brie, I can't breathe," Troy gasped. Gabriella blushed and let go of him. He stared deep into her chocolate brown eyes. "Do you love me?" He asked. Gabriella nodded.

"Of course," she replied. "Troy, what's--"

"Do you trust me?" He asked, interrupting her.

"Yeah, but--"

"Then, will you marry me?" He asked. Gabriella's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Wh-what?" She asked, thinking she misunderstood.

"Will you marry me? Please?" Troy asked.

Gabriella closed her eyes, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. That time, she was sure she had heard correctly. "Gabriella?" He asked, again.

Gabriella looked at him through her teary eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes! I will marry you!"

Troy pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!" He cheered, picking her up and twirling her around. "You're going to be my wife."

"And you're going to be my husband," She giggled, she couldn't stop smiling. "I love you so much."

"I love you more," Troy grinned.

"Uh uh, that's not possible," Gabriella shook her head as he put her back down on her feet.

"I'll be right back," Troy promised, running down the stairs. "Maria?"

"Yes, Troy?" Maria called from the kitchen.

"Maria, I need to ask you something."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Maria asked.

"Do I have your permission to marry your daughter?" Troy asked.

Maria's eyes widened. "Since when?"

"Since tonight. I don't have a ring yet, but I really love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Troy, the rest of your life?" Maria asked. He knew what she was hinting at.

He swallowed hard. "And the rest of her life. Please."

"Okay," Maria smiled, finally giving in. "You have my permission."

"YES!!" Troy yelped, running back up the stairs. Maria laughed and shook her head.


	11. Breaking the News to Them

"Bells?" Taylor called, jogging up Gabriella's stairs. "Hey, are you home? The door was unlocked…"

"I don't think she's home," Sharpay whispered, knocking softly on Gabriella's wooden bedroom door. "Gabs? You in here?"

"Huh?" Gabriella moaned sleepily. "Oh, come in." They opened the door. Gabriella rubbed her tired eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time to wake up!" Taylor laughed. "No really, it's eight."

"That's crazy," Gabriella yawned, looking over at Troy, who was laying next to her, with his arms around her tightly. "Too early to get up." And she lay back down, pulling the covers over her head.

"Uh uh," Sharpay scolded, "You have some explaining to do." Gabriella cursed under her breath, just as the covers were ripped back off of her. She groaned.

Troy's eyes fluttered open. A smile spread over his lips, then turned to a frown. "Hey, what're you guys doing here?"

"We're here to find out what's been going on." Taylor explained.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh, don't try fooling me. I can't be fooled." Sharpay grinned evilly.

"Why haven't you been at school?" Taylor interrupted.

Gabriella looked at Troy. "I've been…sick. The flu."

"That's a likely story," Sharpay replied, sitting down in Gabriella's computer chair.

Troy gave her a look that she knew too well. "Well, she was sick."

"I'm sure," Taylor nodded. "She was gone for…I don't know how many days and we tried calling several times. Have you been dodging our calls?"

"No, of course not!" Gabriella cried, shaking her head. "No, never. I told you, I was sick. Honest to God."

"What'd you have? It wasn't the flu, was it?" Sharpay asked.

" 'Brie, you have to tell them sometime." Troy whispered, so only she could hear. Her fingers trailed toward the end of the sheets, which she began fiddling with.

"I know," she replied, softly.

"Hey," Troy said, pulling her face up, so that she was looking into his eyes, which were filled with concern. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Gabriella smiled a little. "Okay…" She looked back toward Taylor and Sharpay, who were staring at her intently. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Gabby?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah, you know you can tell us anything," Sharpay smiled, warmly, spinning around in the chair.

Gabriella smiled again. She glanced at Troy, who gave her a side ways glance. "C'mon, baby," he encouraged her, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

She took a deep breath. "Guys, I have cancer."

Sharpay stopped spinning in the chair, and looked directly at her with a face she had never seen before. Taylor dropped the coffee mug in her hand. "What?!" The both cried out in unison.

"I have leukemia," Gabriella said, a little quieter. Troy ran a thumb over the back of her hand. He could see tears welling up in her eyes, and the other two's as well.

"Since when?" Taylor croaked out.

"Since a few years ago." Gabriella replied, looking down again.

"Have you been getting treated?" Sharpay asked, in disbelief.

Gabriella nodded. "Yes, but the treatments aren't…" She broke off. Her voice had cracked and she couldn't talk anymore.

"Working right?" Taylor asked, carefully.

Gabriella just nodded. Troy hugged her and held her in his strong arms. She felt safe for a moment, as if she were normal again. "I just wish I was normal."

"You are normal, sweetie," Sharpay whispered, trying to hold back the tears. "We love you and this stupid cancer isn't going to change that."

Taylor nodded, with a small smile plastered on her face. "Never, ever. We'll be right here with you until this is over. Until you fight it off."

"What if I can't fight it off?" Gabriella hiccupped.

The other three shook their heads. " 'Brie, we've been over this before," Troy said.

"I know, but, what if?"

"Don't talk like that," Sharpay said. "That's a 'what if' question."

"Thanks," Gabriella smiled. "Just for understanding and not running away." Taylor and Sharpay reached in and they all had a group hug.

"Anytime," Taylor said. "When's your next doctor's appointment?"

"Tomorrow at three." Troy answered for Gabriella.

"We'll be there," Sharpay grinned. Gabriella's face lit up.

"You will?"

"Of course, hon," Taylor muttered. "Always."


	12. Forget Me

When Troy came into Gabriella's room from climbing over the balcony, she was scribbling furiously into a notebook. "What are you doing?" He asked. She jumped.

"Oh my goodness, Troy, you can't do that. Why don't you ever use the door?"

"Don't change the subject," Troy smirked, sitting on her bed and glancing at the notebook. All he caught were the words 'Troy', 'love', and 'die', before Gabriella slammed it shut.

"That's not important," she murmured, sliding it under her pillow.

"Have you always kept that there?" Troy asked. She nodded. "How come I've never noticed it before?"

Gabriella shrugged. "You're impaired."

Troy laughed sarcastically. "I saw my name. What was that?"

Gabriella giggled. "You're so nosey."

"But you love me for it," Troy smiled.

"True," Gabriella said, giving him a kiss on the lips, which he gladly excepted. Then, her face paled and she jumped to her feet, grabbing her stomach.

"What's the matter?" Troy asked, standing, too. Gabriella rushed out of the room. Troy followed on her heels as she ran to the toilet. She bent over and emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Troy held her hair out of her face. "Are you done?"

Gabriella nodded her head, weakly. Troy placed his hand to her forehead. She was burning up. That was a symptom of leukemia at its worst, wasn't it? He felt a rush of panic flow through his body like an electric shock. He pulled out his phone as Gabriella slowly sat down in the floor, leaning against the bathtub.

He skimmed through his contacts and found Maria's number. Quickly pushing call, he brought Gabriella back to her feet. She shook her head and almost fell over, but her gripped her shoulders just in time. "C'mon, baby, we gotta get to the hospital."

"No," Gabriella moaned, shaking her head again. "I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Hello, you've reached Maria Montez, I'm not available to take your call at the moment-"

"Damn!" Troy muttered, throwing his phone across the room. He held both arms around Gabriella and slowly brought her out into the hallway. Maria was at work. They were alone. He managed to lift her into his arms and carry her bridal style to his car.

He opened the door with his free hand and gently placed her in the passengers seat. Her closed her eyes and rested against the seat. He ran as fast as he could and got in his car, starting the engine and speeding off toward the hospital.

"Gabriella Montez," Troy told the secretary impatiently.

"The doctor will se you in a moment. What seems to be the problem?"

"Are you blind?! She's really sick," Troy motioned toward the frail girl in his arms. "She has cancer…"

"Okay," the nurse said, typing the name into the computer. "Gabriella Montez, yeah, the doctor will see you in a moment."

"No!" Troy yelled. Gabriella jumped and opened her eyes. Troy lowered his voice. "She needs help now!" He whispered, harshly.

"The doctor isn't available at the moment," the secretary replied, shocked by his sudden outburst.

"You only have one doctor in this freaking hospital?!" He cried, in rage. The nurse nodded, just as the doctor came out of the door. "Thank the Lord!"

His eyes widened. "Oh, Gabriella! Come on in." He walked back into one of the hospital rooms.

Troy laid her down on the bed. "She's really weak, she just threw up, and she has a really bad fever…What does that mean?"

"It could mean a lot of things," The doctor replied, grabbing for one of his thermometers from is pocket. He stuck it into her mouth. She had a fever of 101.2.

"What's wrong with her?" Troy asked, impatiently.

"You were correct. She does have a bad fever. One of the highest I've had in years."

"And that means?" Troy asked.

"It means she may not have longer to live," the doctor said, solemnly. Troy's jaw dropped.

'Ho-How much l-longer??" He demanded.

"Maybe a week or two. It depends on how long the fever lasts and how bad it gets." Then, he left.

Troy's heart was breaking. No, this couldn't be happening to Gabriella. His dear Gabriella. She didn't deserve this at all. Her eyes fluttered open, again. He stroked her sweaty forehead. "It's h-hot," she managed, through panting.

"I know, baby," Troy whispered, tears flowing freely down his face.

"Where are we?" she asked, sitting up, seeing the state of her fiancée.

"We're in the hospital, sweetheart," Troy replied, caressing her cheek.

"What's wrong with me?" She demanded, tears once again welling up in her beautiful chocolate eyes.

"You got sick again," Troy answered, not being able to look at her.

Gabriella looked down. "Am I going to die?" Troy didn't answer her. "Troy!"

He looked at her. "No!"

"I am, aren't I?" she asked. "I feel horrible."

"I know you do, 'Brie," Troy whispered.

"Don't cry because of me. Troy, when I die, don't cry over me."

'Gabriella, I would cry over you, but you're not dying." He lied.

She shook her head. "I know I am. Troy, we both know that. You deserve someone who can promise an eternity with you, not someone who could die any second."

"Gabriella-"

"No, Troy." Gabriella shook her head again, tears streaming down her face. "You deserve…someone who won't ever break your heart or make you cry."

" 'Brie, no. I deserve you."

She once again just shook her head. "No, you don't. You deserve so much better than me. You're such a good guy…Maybe you are better off just forgetting me…"

**REVIEW!! I can't post the next chappie without reviews, now can I? C'mon people! Yell at me if you want. Tell me how you feel. Are you crying? Laughing? Pissed off much? Review it.**


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